


Be There

by nightwingingit



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-18 22:14:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17589380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightwingingit/pseuds/nightwingingit
Summary: Tim stands there alone.  He’s shaking but he’s not cold.  It's not because he’s tired even though he isn’t running on much sleep.  It's the emotions he’s holding at bay threatening to come out, and it's all he can do to hold them back.  Dick can see the tears welling up as Tim holds himself, one hand on each elbow, hunched forward ever so slightly as if he might burst.  But he just stands there, as if it’s taking every ounce of power inside him to just hold himself together.





	Be There

Tim stands there alone.  He’s shaking but he’s not cold.  It's not because he’s tired even though he isn’t running on much sleep.  It's the emotions he’s holding at bay threatening to come out, and it's all he can do to hold them back.  Dick can see the tears welling up as Tim holds himself, one hand on each elbow, hunched forward ever so slightly as if he might burst.  But he just stands there, as if it’s taking every ounce of power inside him to just hold himself together. 

 

Dick reaches his arms out but doesn’t move to advance on Tim.  He let’s Tim be in control and allows him to come to him. He means to sound casual but his voice is thick with emotion when he asks, “Can I get a hug?”

 

Tim slowly looks up at him without a word and those large young eyes that were once filled with fire and determination, looked so weary and so tired, and so much like dark hopeless voids that made Dick want so much to rush over to his brother right that second.  But he doesn’t. Tim is so fragile right now Dick knows that moving in on him would cause the boy to flee.

 

Dick gives a small smile and adds on, “I think I really really need one right now.  Please.”

 

And Tim knows this is so like Dick to say.  Dick doesn’t need a hug, he wants to give him one, but he’ll say it’s for his own sake so Tim doesn’t feel like he’s pushing himself onto Dick.  That’s just the person Dick is.

 

Tim hates himself for taking advantage of such kindness.  But he does anyways.

 

Tim stumbles slowly forward.  Proximity and touch has always been a thing for Tim, something he wasn’t used to getting or giving, and Dick knows this and let’s the boy take his time before he stiffly enters Dicks arms.  The tension in his shoulders noticeably vanishes as he buries his face into Dick’s chest and wraps his arms around him, hands fisted into the back of Dick’s shirt.

 

Finally letting go of that pent up emotion made Tim realize he’d been holding his breath and so he takes a deep shaky breath and then releases it and can’t help the sob coming out that he’s been holding for much too long.

 

The sob only creates more, as if something inside him has given out, as he buries his face in Dick’s chest, wishing he could hide himself from the world.

 

Dick finally moves his still arms to slowly wrap around his brother, not wanting to spook him with any fast movements.  

 

How could he let it get this far?  Tim was so touch starved he’d practically melted in Dick’s arms.  His sadness so pent up that he could barely function anymore.

 

He wishes he could protect him, do more for him.  But for right now he just holds him, thinking about all of the times he’d ever failed his brother, thinking about all of the things he’s incapable of and all of the ways he was lacking.  He couldn’t be the brother Tim needed and he’s so sorry for that. 

 

Tim suffers so much alone.  All his efforts could never be enough.  

 

He’s not enough.  

 

Even when he does everything he can he’ll never be able to fill up all of the void in Tim’s heart and he hates himself for it.

 

Those thoughts make silent tears come out of Dick’s own eyes as he holds Tim closer.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow I don't self-project onto Tim and Dick at all


End file.
